Her Majesty
by CecilaAlice
Summary: WARNING:NOT ATU FIC! ACTUAL BEATLES FIC! Anna lives with her alcoholic aunt, and has an abusive boyfriend. But when he goes too far, four unexpected boys help her out. Will she let them help her?
1. In Spite of the Danger

**Heyy guys! I actually have a number of things I would like to apologize for. Like, I'm sorry if I get something wrong, history wise. I mean, I know it's not gonna be exactly accurate, but I tried to keep it as close as possible to what really happened. And, I'm sorry, I know this isn't ATU, but they didn't have a Beatles archive, unfortunately. I am actually writing one of those as well, but I just want to see how well this does before I put that one out, cause it needs some work.**

**Well, I don't own Paulie, John, George or Ringo. :[**

Anna was your average 18 year old girl living in Liverpool, England. Her dark hair flew behind her at her brisk pace, and her green eyes vivid with fury, fixed on the stoop ahead of her. She stomped up the steps and banged her fist on the door. A thud and a few crashes reached her ears and she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. One of her feet started to tap viciously on the concrete. Door 108 opened, and a tall, broad shouldered man peered out through squinted eyes, a beer bottle in hand.

"Hey, baby." His voice was slurred.

"Where and who was it this time, Max?" Anna pushed past him and began cleaning up his mess of beer bottles and cans, counting them as she went.

"What are you talking about, Sugar?"

"Oh, stop it with the pet names! I know you were out with another girl last night!" she dropped what she had picked up.

"Maxey? What's going on?" a voice came from the back room and Anna looked at Max with a look of disgust.

"You brought her back, and she's still here?"

"No, wait, Anna, I can explain!"

But she ignored him and stormed into the back room. A tall blonde lay tangled in sheets of his bed. She looked almost as drunk as Max.

Max came up behind Anna, "Annie-baby,"

"No!" she turned on him, "No more! I'm done! We're done!"

She went to grab her purse and headed for the door.

"But, Annie-!"

"No, Max! I'm tired of your crap! This is where I draw the line." She reached for the doorknob, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her just out of reach.

"Hey! That hurts!"

"Did I say you could leave?" he looked at her through half open, drunken eyes.

"Max, let go!" she struggled, but he pulled her back again, "Help!"

The blonde seemed to come to her senses enough to realize Anna was in danger and cam running out wearing nothing but a large shirt. She jumped on Max's back, scratching and biting him, trying to get him to let Anna go. At first it seemed it was working, but she bit his ear and he yelped in pain, letting Anna go. She shot for the door and just made it out when Max got a hold of her again. Tears were streaming down her face, terrified of what might happen to her.

"Get back here you little wench!" he yelled.

"Let me go!" she exclaimed through heavy sobs.

"Hey! I believe the lady said to let her go." A handsome sounding accented voice came from the side of the road, but Anna couldn't see him. She kept up her fight, trying anything to get away with no avail. Max seemed to ignore whoever it was, but tightened his grip on Anna's arm, digging his abnormally long nails into her flesh. She let out a cry of pain.

"Hey! Let her go!" the voice said again and more than one pair of footsteps came up the stairs and someone punched Max in the jaw. He let Anna go and she stumbled back where someone gently held her up, guiding her down the steps. She could hear Max's commands to give her back, but the man ignored him and helped her into the back of a car, climbing in after her. The sobs had stopped, but silent tears fell down her cheeks and she had pulled her knees to her chest in an effort to shrink into a corner of the vehicle. The man didn't speak to her, but used gentle touches to calm her down. She was shaking violently. He probably thought she was gonna hurt herself simply from that. But the only thing that was really painful was the pain in her arm. She could feel the blood, and she didn't think it was really awful, but she was afraid to look at it. She could vaguely feel the car begin to move and voices.

"Is she okay?" said one.

"I don't know, John." Said the man trying to calm her down, "She's shaking. Bad."

"Do we take her to the hospital?" a third voice said.

"No." the man next to her again, "That might scare her more. Let's just take her to your place, John. If that's okay."

"It's fine." Said John.

It was quiet the rest of the way, and the man kept his hand on her knee, telling her everything would be okay. She started to calm down when they reached the house. Someone opened the door she was leaning on and she almost feel out, but someone caught her.

"Careful, John!" the man who sat next her scolded. John carried her up a small set of stairs and into a house. He set her on a couch. And the other man came and kneeled next to her. She was still shaking, but she seemed to have calmed down quite a bit during the short drive.

"Poor thing. She's in shock." Said a fourth voice.

"I'll go get a rag to wash that arm." Said John, and he disappeared only to come back with a wet rag, and handed it to the man next to her. He held her arm with care, but she still jumped at his touch.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." He slowly began to whip the blood from her arm, revealing small, but deep cuts in her skin. It was already starting to bruise. John winced like it hurt him to look at it and disappeared again, coming back with bandages. The man dressed her injuries and sat next to her.

"Thank you." Anna finally said when she felt she could talk without her voice croaking.

The man smiled at her, "No problem, love."

She gave a weak smile, and suddenly she felt dizzy. The man must have noticed and put a hand on her back, "I'll get you some water. Paul, will you sit with her."

"Yeah." Another one of the boys came and took the other one's place. He put a hand on her back and she looked at him. Her vision was blurry, but he still looked familiar.

"Don't I know you?" she said.

He smirked, "You might."

"Thanks," the other boy came back and took Paul's place.

"So," Paul sat on her other side on the couch, feeling she was okay enough to talk. Try and get her mind off what had just happened, "does our damsel in distress have a name?"

She gave another small smile, "Annabelle. But you can call me Anna."

"How'd you get mixed up with a bloke like that, love?" the boy gave her a glass half full of water.

"Max? Um, well," she paused, looking at the four of them. They were waiting patiently for her to continue, "Well, long story short, our families have always been good friends, and we figured we'd, you know, give it a go. And, well, you see where that got me. He wasn't exactly faithful."

"Or harmless, it looks like." John pointed to her arm.

She chuckled, "Yeah."

An awkward silence fell over them.

"Well," said Anna, "I guess I better get going."

"Are you sure?" Paul sat up.

"Well, I mean, I don't want to be a burden."

"No! Why don't you stay?"

"Well, if you're sure." She looked around at the others.

"Of course! Right guys?" Paul seemed overly excited, but everyone seemed to agree that they wanted her to stay and get to know each other. She smiled, looking down.

"If you insist."

"Alright! Well, I'm Paul, that's John, George, and Ringo."

The last boy he pointed to, Ringo was the one that bandaged her arm. She smiled at him, "Where were you guys heading before I so rudely interrupted?"

"Oh, yeah," said George, "we were going to eat. Are you hungry?"

She opened her mouth to say no, but her stomach growled first. She smiled sheepishly, but the boys just chuckled.

"Come on," Ringo took her hand and they followed John and George out the door, Paul behind on Anna's heels.

xxx

I knew I recognized you guys," Anna smiled, "you're The Beatles."

The four boys laughed.

"Yes, we are." Said Ringo next to her.

She laughed, "I've been going down to the Cavern Club to see you for a long time."

"Have you now?" John leaned on the table and their food arrived. They talked about what they wanted to do and what she wanted to do. The four boys seemed to want to know everything about her life like it was the next big thing on the telly. She kept telling them that her life really wasn't that exciting, but they disagreed. So, so told them about how she moved out when she graduated high school, and now lived with her aunt who wasn't home almost at all, and how she had just gotten fired at the diner down the street. Then she managed to turn the table onto them and their newfound career in the music business. And she was told their story. They had just gotten back from Germany when they ran into her.

They paid for their dinner and headed back to John's, which she soon found out, was where they were earlier. They sat down and talked for almost another hour and Anna looked at the clock.

"Oh!" she said standing, "It's almost midnight. I should go."

"I think we should do this again." Said Paul standing with her, "Soon."

She smiled, "I would like to. I had a really great time, guys."

"We did, too." Said George, speaking for the others who all agreed with him.

Anna smiled, "Well, I guess I better start for home."

"Let me walk you home." Said Ringo.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll be back, fellas."

They said their goodbyes and Ringo led Anna out of the door. Paul stood at the doorframe and watched them go. John and George exchanged looks, smiles on their faces. John coughed and Paul turned to face them.

"What?" he said.

"You _fancy_ her." Said George.

"Do not." He saw Ringo and Anna turn the corner and walked over to the window, pulling back the curtains so he could see them.

"Then why are you watching her leave?" John teased.

"I just want to make sure she gets home safely."

"I'm fairly sure Ringo can handle it."

"Well," he paused, "you never know. Don't you have a song to write or something?"

"Don't you?"

Paul rolled his eyes and stormed into the kitchen.

xxx

"I really do appreciate everything you've done for me today." Anna said as she and Ringo walked towards her apartment block.

"Don't worry. We're always happy to help a lady out." Ringo smiled at her.

She smiled back and then looked down. There was a moment of silence between them, and to Anna's surprise, it wasn't awkward. Just over the past couple of hours, she felt like she'd known Ringo all her life and the other three as well. It made her think that maybe, just maybe, her life might turn out okay. But she didn't get her hopes up, just in case this was just a once in a lifetime experience.

"Do you think your auntie's home?" Ringo asked her.

"Probably not. She's probably drunk at some bar." She sighed.

"I see. Well, do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"Not anymore." She chuckled, placing her hand on her bandaged arm.

"Well, would you like to come down to the studio with us? We're recording a few new songs."

"Really?" she sounded sincerely excited.

Ringo smiled at her happy face, "Yeah,"

"But, wouldn't I be in the way?"

"No, of course not. George and Brian aren't really strict about anything except our appearance." He gestured to his tie.

She giggled, "If you're sure. I would love to come."

She came to a stop in front of a large red building on the corner. It really wasn't that far from John's place. But what Ringo noticed was Anna's face drop.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"See the window right there? With the light on?" she pointed, "Auntie's home."

He looked confused, "Are you going to be alright?"

She sighed, "Yeah. She's never hit me or anything, but sometimes words hurt."

"Are you sure you wanna go up there?'

"I'll have to face her at some point. I was just hoping maybe she went to a bar."

"Well, I mean, I've got an extra bed, and,"

Anna laughed, "Thank you, Ringo. For everything. You're really easy to talk to. All of you are."

He smiled and she kissed his cheek, walked towards the door. He was momentarily speechless, then remembered the next day, "Hey, don't forget tomorrow!" he called after her, "We'll pick you up at 9:30!"

"Can't wait!" she waved and disappeared into the block.

Ringo stood there a moment; his hand grazed his cheek where her lips had touched. He chuckled and turned back towards John's, shaking his head and listening to Anna's auntie complain in a very loud tone. He stopped only once to look back, considered going back to her, but decided against it, and continued pack to John's house.


	2. Hello Little Girl

**Hey! I was actually really surprised by the reviews I got for this. Thanks guys! :D**

**But one thing somebody said is that they didn't think that this was how the Beatles would've acted, and you're probably right, but this is just coming from my imagination, so oh well. :P**

**Hahaa, I don't own the four of them. :[**

The next morning, Ringo, George and Paul showed up at John's early to eat breakfast and gather their equipment. They piled their guitars into the trunk of John's large car, joined John in the kitchen for a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon, the toast on its way.

"So," Ringo sat down at the small table, "what do you guys think of Anna?"

"I think she's a pretty cool gal." George grabbed a small cup of tea and joined the drummer.

"Cute, too." John smiled and sat the toast on the table next to the rest of the food. Ringo looked to Paul, not wanting to say anything about her unless everyone was okay with it. But Paul seemed to be distracting himself with filling his plate with as much food as he could.

"Paul?" Ringo grabbed a piece of toast.

"Huh?" his mouth was half full.

"Anna? What do you think of her?"

Paul glanced at John and George. They smirked and leaned back in their chairs.

"Yeah, Paulie," said John, "What do you think of our dearest Annabelle?"

He swallowed and continued to eat and took a sip of his tea, "She's okay. I don't mind her."

"Well, I've invited her to the studio today." Ringo admitted, stabbing his egg with his fork.

"Great!" John and George seemed quite excited, but Paul almost spit out his drink.

"Really?" he whipped his mouth with a napkin.

"Yeah," Ringo looked at him suspiciously, "I, uh, hope you don't mind."

"Mind? Why would I mind? I don't know what you're talking about. That's fine, completely fine." His cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.

Ringo checked his watch, "Good, 'cause I told her we'd pick her up at 9:30."

"Right, let's go, then!" George picked up his empty plate and took it to the sink, John behind him.

"Are you sure you're alright with this?" Ringo asked Paul in a whisper.

"Of course. Don't worry about me. I think she's a pretty cool gal." Paul reassured him with a smile and took his half eaten food to the trash and set his plate on the counter after Ringo, and they were out the door.

xxx

Anna woke early to the sun in her eyes from her open window across the room. She groaned and turned onto her other side, dozing back off to sleep. Then it hit her. She shot up and the blankets fell onto the floor. She searched for her clock and found it on the floor, wondering for a moment on how it got there, but then she saw the time. Ringo and the boys would be there in less than 45 minutes. She jumped off the mattress and darted into the bathroom turning on the water to as hot as it would go. She quickly stripped down to nothing and threw her clothes in the bathroom hamper. She was about to step into the hot water, but remembered the bandage on her arm. She pulled it off gently and looked at it. It really wasn't that bad, but extremely purple. She winced a little at the sight, but continued into the shower. It only took her close to ten or fifteen minutes to her surprise and she ran back to her bedroom. Almost dropping her towel, she pulled it back up and closed her curtains, laughing at herself. She checked the time again. Twenty minutes and they would be here. She pulled on a pair of blue shorts and a plain white top. She wouldn't have time to blow dry her hair, so she pulled it up out of her face after brushing it and headed for the kitchen. No sign of her auntie, she found more than several empty beer bottles lying around and grabbed the milk from the fridge and a bowl and spoon from the cabinets. The cereal was already on the table and she sat down to a quick breakfast. Five minutes left and she reentered the bathroom to brush her teeth. A car honked from outside and she opened her bathroom window and immediately smiled. Ringo was getting out of the car and walking towards the door.

"Ringo!" she called. He looked up and she waved down to him. He waved back and she ran to grab her purse and shut the door behind her, running down the stairwell as fast as she could without falling. Ringo was waiting for her at the bottom.

"Good morning, love." He said, opening the door for her. She watched his eyes dart to her arm and almost regretted not grabbing a jacket then stepped out into the hot sun. It wouldn't be so bad, just a few looks she hoped.

"Morning, Ringo." She smiled and they walked to the car and she crawled into the back, next to George.

"Hello, hello." He said with a warm smile.

"Morning, George." She buckled in and Ringo sat next to her, "Morning John, Paul."

John bid her good morning, and Paul looked at her and turned back to the front, "Hello little girl."

Anna felt her cheeks get hot, but hoped nobody noticed and started another conversation till they got to the studio. It definitely wasn't that awkward at all, talking to the four of them. She smiled and laughed with them like they'd known each other for years. It made Anna feel good about herself, feel like she wasn't just in the way all the time. They seemed to think of her like a real person, and after listening to Max tell her that she wasn't pretty or worth a pretty penny for all that time, it meant a little more to her than she thought it would. Something about John, George, Ringo, and Paul made her think that maybe her life had taken a turn for the better.

"Here we are." Said John as the car came to a stop, "Abbey Road."

They all stepped out, and John and Paul grabbed their guitars, Ringo took George's when he saw him turn to help Anna out of her seat, "Shall we?"

"We shall." Anna took his out stretched arm as he led her up the stairs and into the building. Inside, a tall, thin, dark haired man greeted them.

"Hello, boys." He said and he spotted Anna on George's arm, "Well, and who do we have here?"

"Annabelle," said John setting his guitar down, "a new friend of ours."

The man held out his hand, and she shook it, "Please, call me Anna."

"Pleased to meet you, Anna." He kept glancing at her bruise, "I, uh, hope none of our boys did that to you."

She looked down at her arm, "Oh, no, sir. They actually rescued me from what probably would've been much worse."

"She was gonna alone today, and with the man who did that to her roaming the streets," Ringo didn't even finish his sentence.

"Well, of course she can stay here with us."

"Thank you, sir," Anna felt slightly fidgety.

"No, call me Mr. George."

She smiled and the boys got to work, Anna getting her own chair in the room with the boys. Maybe, just maybe, her life would turn out alright.


	3. I Wanna Hold Your Hand

**Hey! Thanks for the reviews guys! :D**

**Just a few a/n's before we get started, this was the last chapter I had written out already, so you'll have to give me just a little more time for the next chapter. Sorry.. :P**

**And second, none has come up so far (thankfully. :]) but just for future reference, I do NOT, repeat, NOT accept flames in reviews, or personal messages. I don't care if it's not perfectly accurate, or if you don't like the way I write, or the plot or whatever. I write purely for enjoyment. I won't even read it if I see any kind of negativity. Kaythanks. :]**

**I just own Annabelle and her auntie, and the character Maxwell, not the name.. :P**

Before anyone could realize time was going by at all, it had been weeks since that fateful day on Max's doorstep, and Anna was spending almost every hour of everyday with the Beatles. Most days were spent in the recording studio where she even had her own specific chair. She helped where she could and when they were on break, she learned a little bit of drums and guitars thanks to George and Ringo. They all joked and laughed all through the day, and when they weren't in the studio, they were at John's house just hanging out. One of the boys would pick her up either by car or they would walk depending on the weather and sometimes they would go out to eat or go to the park. She was with them almost every day and she saw every one of them differently.

George was her best friend. They joked and prodded at each other for hours on end, acting like silly little children. But, he was actually the same age as her, so they didn't see why they couldn't. They were like long lost twins.

John became her "mother" in a way. He was always telling that she shouldn't do things because they were dangerous or something like that (she never paid much attention). Sometimes she couldn't even tell if he was joking some of the times, but all in all, he was a really good friend, determined to look after her. On the occasion, she would catch him glancing at her arm where a large, nasty bruise had been.

Paul was a different story. Not that she would tell anybody, but she actually had a crush on the boy, or more or less, it was probably safe to say that she was somewhat in love with him. But she wasn't about to tell anybody, not even George, and definitely not Ringo. And to be honest, she had no earthly idea what Paul felt about her.

She would've told Ringo, but she was afraid of what he would say. Sure she was attracted to him a little, but she saw him as a brother in her eyes. The big brother she never had. Watching out for her, and there for her if she needed it. He was usually the one who picked her up and dropped her off and the looks that he gave other boys when they looked at her wrong were extremely intimidating. But one of those looks was given to a boy she never expected. It was a crisp, cool night at the end of July and they were all sitting at John's house eating popcorn and relaxing in the living room after a long day in the recording studio. It was getting late, almost time for her to head home and everyone was getting sleepy, Anna included. She was sitting on the floor leaning back on Ringo's knees and she looked up at him. But he was throwing a death glare across the room. She followed his gaze to none other than Paul. She was slightly taken aback. He was looking right at her, but he looked as if he was in a daze. George and John were in the other room, and the silence between her, Ringo and Paul was too much for her. There was a lot of tension and she felt she needed to break the silence before something bad happened. She set the bowl of popcorn aside and stood with a stretch.

"Well, I guess it's about that time." She said.

Ringo glanced up at her then back to Paul and stood, "I'll walk you home-"

Paul stood with him, "No, Ringo, you look tired. I'll walk Anna home."

Anna looked between the two.

Ringo was silent a moment, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I never get to walk her home." He smirked.

"Well, okay." Ringo looked reluctant.

"I'll, uh, see you guys later, then." Anna eyed Paul suspiciously, but there was a smile on her face. She was secretly happy that he had offered to walk her home.

"Bye, Annabelle!" John called from the kitchen.

She laughed, "Bye, John." She saw George at the kitchen table with some papers, "Bye, George."

He looked up and waved and she waved back.

"Ready?" said Paul.

"Um, yeah." She smiled and looked over to Ringo, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he gave her a smile, but she could tell it was forced. What was up with him? She hugged him and let Paul open the door for her and they were alone in the streets of Liverpool. It was quiet for a short while and Anna looked up at the night sky.

"Clear night." She stated.

Paul looked up, "Yeah, it's beautiful."

"Yeah, it is."

"You are, too, you know."

She was taken aback, unsure of what to say.

He continued, "I've heard you talking to Ringo and George about Max. Why would you stay with somebody like that for so long?"

She looked at him, then down at the concrete.

"You didn't want to, did you?"

She looked back at him and shook her head. Her eyes were watery, but she didn't feel like she was going to cry. She had come to terms with what had happened, and though it pained her to think about it, she couldn't change what had happened. She had the boys now, and things were better. They were quiet again, and Paul did something Anna had been dreaming of for weeks, but never expected it to actually happen. He subtly took hold of a few of her fingers and slowly intertwined his fingers with hers. She looked down at their hands then up at him and he glanced at her, misinterpreting her realization of a dream for disgust, he began to take his hand away. She squeezed his hand and he stayed a small smirk on his face. They stayed like that, just enjoyed each other's company till they reached her apartment block. She stopped and he stepped in front of her.

"You know what I said earlier, I wasn't just saying that." Paul took her other hand, "You really are beautiful."

He kissed her cheek, and her faced was tinged pink under the street lamp. He chuckled and gave her his usual half smile that made Anna just want to giggle uncontrollably, but she restrained herself. He walked away, letting their hands linger as long as possible before they were just too far apart. She stood there with a dorky smile on her face watching him walk with a little more pep in his step. He looked back her at once with a smile and a wink. She giggled and ran inside and up the stairs to her auntie's apartment. Checking to make sure she was alone first, she grabbed a pillow from the couch and smothered her scream as she jumped around the living room and collapsed on the large chair. Though she could hear her auntie coming home, nobody could bring her down from this artificial high, and it didn't take her long to drift off to a deep sleep.


	4. I'm In Love

**Hey! Sorry if this one's kinda short, but it just kinda leads into some other big stuff coming up. I promise some big stuff is gonna happen, though I hope you guys don't mind some cutesy stuff a little. That's my specialty. ;]**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**I only own anna.. :[**

The next day was a free one for the boys. No recording, no interviews, no getting ready for a tour. It was a rare one, but it was nice all the same and Anna had mentioned wanting to take a trip to the park. The boys thought it would be nice to relax for once, and it was supposed to be a nice day, so they had it planned to go to Princes Park. Anna loved to be outside and the park was her favorite place to be and she hadn't been in so long. Needless to say she was very excited to go.

They wanted to go kind of early, but still be able to sleep in for the boys. So they decided on 11:30 to meet at John's. But just like it was predicted, it was such a beautiful day and Paul just didn't want to waste it he started walking to John's at 10 o'clock that morning in one of the happiest moods he'd ever been in. He waved to almost everyone he saw, having to dart a few fans who recognized him, but made it to John's in thirty minutes. He knocked on the door, but didn't wait for an answer and waltzed on in. The telly was on, and John sat on the couch reading the paper.

"Paulie, what are you doing here?" he said looking at the clock, "The others won't be here for another hour."

"I know, I know, but it's such a beautiful day and I just couldn't stay inside and I didn't really have the time to go anywhere else." He peeked through the curtains with a smile.

John looked at him seeing right through him, "Paul, why are you here?"

Paul turned to him, a smile still on his face but looked away from John. He sat down in a chair he was next to and suddenly looked like he just couldn't keep a deep dark secret anymore and looked at John with his big brown eyes, "John, you know Anna?"

John looked confused, but smiled to himself looking at his paper, knowing what Paul was about to say to him, "Annabelle? Yes, I believe so. She's only practically become the fifth Beatle. Yes, I do believe I know of her."

Paul chuckled, "Yes, well, I think I'm in love, John."

"Do you, now?" he turned the television off and walking into the kitchen, leaving his paper on the couch.

Paul followed him, "I just can't stop thinking about her! I mean,"

"Tea?" John offered.

"Yes, please," he took the cup and sat at the table, "she's funny and cute and,"

"She is pretty." John agreed, sipping his tea and sitting across from Paul.

"Beautiful!" Paul sighed.

John smiled behind his cup.

"What?" Paul's smile didn't fade.

"I'm just amused that you came here an hour early to tell me something I already knew."

"Already knew? What are you talking about?"

"George and I, we see the way you look at her. And how you act the way you treat her. We've known for a good while now, we were just waiting on you to admit it yourself." He took another sip of his tea.

"Is it that obvious?" his smile faltered.

"To us? Yes. We've seen you with some girls at the Cavern, but never seen you act the way you have been.

Paul looked away, "What do you think I should do?"

"Well, do you know how she feels?"

"Well, not for sure. But when I took her home last night, she didn't seem to mind it when I held her hand or kissed her cheek."

"Sure, sure. Well, there's no harm in finding out for sure."

"What, no!" You're off your rocker." Paul stood and peeked out the window again. George was pulling up and when he got out he looked up and smiled, waving at someone down the street. Paul looked and saw Ringo walking with Anna attached to his arm. She had a little bit of a skip going and she waved back enthusiastically when she saw George, letting go of Ringo. She ran and practically tackled George with a hug. Paul could hear them all laughing through the window.

"Are they here?" John looked at his clock again.

"Yeah." Paul stared at the scene outside.

"Why is everyone so early this morning?"

The door opened and Anna came in with her usual chipper mood a little bit chipper than usual, "Morning!"

"Morning, Annabelle." John said.

Anna smiled and turned to Paul who was sitting down in the chair again, "Are you ready for the park today?"

"Of course." He smiled. Did she remember last night? Was it as big a deal to her as it was to him? He watched her as she looked at the clock and her face faltered a bit. He looked up at it, too. Ten after eleven. Anna sat down on the couch and pulled her legs up on the cushions. She wore a pair of blue and yellow plaid, knee length shorts and a plain white collared shirt without sleeves. Her flip-flops on the floor in front of her. She looked like she was ready for the park at that very moment.

"Well, since we're all here anyway, why don't we go ahead and go?" Paul asked.

Anna looked up at him and smiled a big smile turning on the couch to face John.

"Can we go, please, John?" she smiled.

John rolled his eyes, "Only for you, Annabelle." He tapped her nose.

She jumped up ready to go and they all headed out the door.


	5. This Boy

**Heyy! Okay, sorry it took a little longer than I expected, but it's here! Tell me what you think! **

** I don't own The Beatles. :[**

They reached the park and piled out of John's car. George helped Anna out of the back and she took in a deep breath of fresh air. There weren't a lot of people there, but a few people were starting to recognize the Beatles there, and the boys led Anna away to another part of the park with barely any people there. She spun around and stepped out of her shoes, letting her feet touch the cool, soft grass. She walked down to the edge of the water. Paul watched her and John walked up to him.

"I think now would be a good time." He whispered.

Paul looked at him and was ready to protest, but John and George pushed him along. He rolled his eyes and gave up, walking down to Anna as she sat with her feet in the water. He sat next to her.

"Hey." He said.

"Hi," she smiled, "you alright? You look troubled."

"Me? No, I'm fine." He brushed it off.

"Oh, okay." She squinted up at the sky, "Beautiful day."

"Yeah, it is." He said feeling a little bit of déjà vu. He looked at her and she glanced at him. She'd done it on purpose. He chuckled; maybe he did have a chance.

"Actually, Annie, I have a question." He turned to face her.

"Ask away."

He thought about how to put this. Then it hit him, what if she liked another boy? Like Ringo. She was always with him it seemed, "Well, has there been someone, a boy? Since Max, that is."

"Oh, um, I guess you could say that." She wrapped her arms around her legs.

He knew it, "Oh,"

"Yeah. His name's James. I'm just not really sure how he feels about me."

Not paying a whole lot of attention, he really didn't want to hear about whoever it was, but he felt as her friend he should help her out. He wanted her to be happy, and if this was how he had to do it, that's how it would be done. He thought about what John had said to him that morning, "Well, why don't you ask him next time you see him?"

"Oh, um, well," she stuttered.

"Don't worry. Just do it." He smiled at her.

She was quiet a moment, then she smiled, "Okay, if you say so."

They were quiet a moment.

"Hey, James," said Anna, "how do you feel about me?"

Paul took a double take at her and thought about it. He chuckled, "I see what you did there. Clever girl."

She smiled, "Well, are you gonna answer my question?"

"Well," he mocked taking her hand, "I think I'm in love."

A hint of pink tinged her cheeks, "I think I'm in love, too."

Paul smiled, "With whom? James or Paul?"

She took her hand away and shoved him with a playful smile and he laughed.

"I think I'm in love with this boy." She poked his nose.

"Finally!" John came up behind Anna and grabbed her around the middle, lifting her onto her bare feet.

"What?" she asked.

"We thought you two would never admit it." Said George.

"I do hope you realize that we'll have to kill you if you hurt her." Ringo teased when Paul was on his feet.

Anna hugged Ringo and they all laughed. She grabbed her shoes and they headed down the walkway. Paul took her hand and she looked at him, noticing the clearing. She smiled and dragged him away, letting his hand go and tumbling into the grass. Paul sat next to her.

"Man, I thought that would ever happen." John sat on a nearby bench.

"What do you mean?" asked Ringo, "We've known her a while, but not too terribly long."

"Have you seen the way they act around each other?" George sat next to John.

Ringo acknowledged his defeat and leaned on the back of the bench. Paul and Anna's finger were intertwined and Anna seemed to be studying his hand that she held with both of hers, but they were doing nothing more than talking. They were both smiling and every so often they would laugh. Ringo sighed.

"How are you taking this, Rings?" George looked up at him.

"Well, she's like my little sister. If she's happy, I'm happy."

George looked at John and they both knew he was lying, but left it alone. They turned their attention back to Paul and Anna but something was wrong. The two had stood from the grass and Paul was standing in front of Anna. John, George and Ringo followed their gazes and found a drunken Max staggering straight for the two in broad daylight.


	6. Keep Your Hands Off My Baby

**I feel like my chapters are getting shorter and shorter. :[**

** I'm sorry if they are, I don't mean to. I've just got a list of song/chapter titles, and I know what I want to happen in them. :P**

** Anyway, here you are! **

** I don't own the Beatles. :[**

"What are you doing here, Max?" Anna stared him down and Ringo, John and George came over to them.

"Annie-baby, who are these posers?" Max staggered towards her with open arms and she took a step back. Paul grabbed her hand and Max's face dropped. He took another swig from the beer bottle in his hand.

"Did I say we were over, Anna?" he said sternly.

"No, I did." She stood her ground, but Max didn't seem to like that. A fierce growl came from his lips and he raised his hand high, slapping her across the face before anyone could blink. She hit the ground and Ringo, Paul and George kneeled next to her. She shot daggers at her ex-boyfriend, but he looked accomplished. John turned to him.

"I think it's time for you to go." He said.

"I'll go when I feel like it." Max pushed past John, but Paul stood.

"You don't touch her again." He demanded. Anna stood behind him. Her eyes were watery, but she would not break down. Not here, not now. It wasn't the time. Supported by Ringo and George, she watched the scene unfold in front of her.

"Anna, who is this chump?" Max laughed.

Her fist clenched and she stepped forward with Paul, "John's right, Max. You aren't wanted here."

He laughed again, "Come on, baby. Time to come home."

He reached for her arm, but she pulled back, "Don't touch me."

"Annie, baby-"

"Will you stop calling me that? I'm not your baby anymore, and I'm not coming with you."

"Oh, so you'd rather be with these pricks?"

Anna had had enough, "They're not 'pricks', and you need to leave. Now."

"You'll do what I say, now let's go." He lunged for her and grabbed hold of her arm before she could get away. Nasty visions of the last time she was at his house filled her mind and terrified her. She tried to fight him off, but it was no use. She called for Paul, Ringo, George and John, even though she knew they were on Max. People were starting to gather and she screamed for help as the blood ran down her arm once again. She looked when she heard glass shatter and found that they had moved closer to the sidewalk where Max had broken his beer bottle on the concrete. He held it high right over George's head.

"George!" she bit down hard on Max's arm and he let go of her and dropped the bottle in the grass. Paul punched him hard and he staggered and fell back.

Paul stood over him, "Keep your hands off my baby."

He ran back to the Anna and George and John were standing with her. Ringo was shooing away the crowd and he saw the police were running across the lawn.

"Annie, are you alright?" he grabbed her hand.

"Yes, I'm fine. You?"

"Fine. I'm fine." He smiled.

"What's going on here?" a tall, older looking policeman came up to them.

"That man, he attacked us." Said John.

"Do you know him?"

"I do." Anna spoke up, "He's my ex-boyfriend."

The man noticed her arm and winced a little. She looked at it and back at him, "Don't worry, sir. It's not as bad as it seems."

"Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"No, no. I'm fine, really."

They asked them all a bunch of questions and soon enough let them go. They all headed back to John's and George led Anna straight back to the bathroom. John, Ringo and Paul went to the kitchen.

"I heard the police talking." Said Paul, "They're not going to arrest him."

"Why not?" Paul was appalled.

"Not sure, but that means we'll just have to be more careful when we're out."

Back in the bathroom, George and Anna couldn't hear their conversation, but George helped Anna up onto the counter and took a wet washrag to her arm once again. She watched him in silence, thinking about the morning. She looked at her watch and found that it was only just now one o'clock. In two hours time, she gained the boy of her dreams, ran into her worst nightmare, and got injured enough to ruin their park trip. She chuckled and George looked up at her.

"What?" he said.

"All I wanted was some fresh air and a day at the park." She admitted.

"I know, Ann. It's not your fault. That guy's a sorry excuse for a man." He took out some bandages from the cabinet. She gave a small laugh and he wrapped her arm yet again, "But at least one good thing came out of this."

She looked at him. What good could possibly have come out of today? In her mind at that point, today was one of the worst days of her life.

"I haven't seen Paul that happy in a long time." He smiled up at her. She smiled back. George was right. Maybe it was the worst, and the best day of her life.


	7. A Hard Day's Night

** Alright guys, here's the deal. First off, I wasn't gonna write this till later on this week, but I got a review from ****Beatlesholic13, and they have written their review in the form of a Beatles song, which makes me really happy. :]**

** Anyway, I do appreciate everyone's reviews, I just had to point out how awesome that was, and to say that I'm writing this chapter differently than I usually do. I usually write it out first and its complete crap (no joke) then retype it with better detail. But I'm just going to try and type it and see what happens, because I'm diseased and I can't write anymore (you think I'm kidding, but really. If you seriously want to know, just message me, but otherwise, not important). Tell me if it's better or worse in a review! :D**

**I don't own the Beatles. :[**

And so the rest of the day was spent at John's house and the incident wasn't spoken of. John had a few movies lying around, and they all piled in the living room while Paul made popcorn. John sat in his usual chair, and George and Ringo sat on the couch. Anna grabbed a pillow and blanket and sat in the floor in front of Ringo, leaning on his leg. The movie started and Paul came in and sat down next to Anna on the floor. She smiled at him and took some popcorn, letting herself get drawn into the movie. Movies were one of her therapies. She was able to slip into another world with movies, and it made her forget all of her problems. Paul held her hand and she laid her head on his shoulder, but she only got maybe thirty minutes into the movie before she dozed off for a nap.

xxx

Anna woke up very confused. She was on the couch, but her head wasn't on a pillow of any sort. She sat up a bit and looked around. Ringo and George were on the floor and John was still in his chair. She looked up and found that she had been lying in Paul's lap.

"What time is it?" she yawned.

"It's half past nine." John looked at his watch.

"Oh, I need to get going." She stretched and yawned again. Why was she so tired? Then she remembered. Oh…

"Well, are you hungry, before you leave? You kind of slept through dinner." John got up.

"No, don't worry about it. I'm fine." She stood and so did Paul.

"I'll take you home." He said.

"Okay." She looked like she would fall asleep standing up.

"Poor thing." Said George, "She woke up too early and got herself overexcited. Not to mention everything that happened today."

Paul chuckled, "Come on, petal."

"Bye, guys. Am I still invited tomorrow?" she asked at the door.

"Why wouldn't you be?" said Ringo, "I'll pick you up at eight."

She smiled, "Okay. Bye."

Paul and Anna were almost completely silent during the not so long walk to Anna's apartment. Paul laced his fingers with hers and they were content to simply walk that way in the comfortable silence, partly because Anna looked like she would collapse any minute. When they reached the apartment block, Paul kissed her cheek and began the walk back and Anna walked up the long flight of stairs to her Auntie's apartment. She unlocked the door and was surprised to find her Auntie sitting in the kitchen. She had a large, mostly empty bottle of wine on the table and a fancy looked glass next to it, her hand lazily draped around it. Anna eyed her and closed the door.

"Annabelle, why have you let this place get so filthy." Her words were a little slurred in her state. Why did Anna have to live with this sort of thing? Her parents never did any of that. What made her Auntie go so wrong? But that's the way she always remembered her, a drunken whore that did nothing else but drink alcohol and go to clubs.

"I'm sorry, Auntie. I'll clean it in the morning." She headed towards her bedroom (the only clean part of the place) in the back of the apartment, but her Auntie stopped her.

"No. You will clean it now." She said.

Anna looked at the clock. A little over five after ten, "Auntie, why can't I just clean it tomorrow before I go?"  
"Because, you are going to scrub every bit of this place from head to toe." She stood and walked over to her, getting right in Anna's face. She smelled heavily of alcohol of all kinds. It made Anna want to gag, but she sighed in defeat. She knew she wasn't going to get anywhere with her Auntie. She sucked it up and went on the search for a rag and some cleaners and got to work. Her Auntie took the bottle of wine and her glass and crashed in her own bedroom. Anna closed the door so she wouldn't have to listen to her obnoxious snores and started towards the kitchen. Her cleaning weapons in hand, she surveyed the room and sighed. It was going to be a hard day's night.


	8. Any Time At All

**Okay, I know the last chapter was extremely short, that's why I'm posting at least two in one day. :]**

** I don't own the Beatles. :[**

Anna woke the next morning extremely confused. She was on the living room couch in a nearly spotless apartment. This couldn't possibly be her auntie's, and then it hit her. She sighed and laid her head back down. Then she remembered the recording studio. She shot of the sofa and ran to her room. She guess it was probably ten or ten thirty. Eleven at the latest and knew she wouldn't have time for a shower. Her Auntie was still passed out in her bedroom as she jumped into another pair of shorts and found a random shirt in her closet. She yanked her hair up in a ponytail and grabbed he shoes not bothering to actually put them on and ran out of the house thinking that the boys had just let her sleep. She knew the way to the studio and headed that way.

She walked with a brisk pace, cursing her auntie the whole way for making her clean the whole house all night. While it was nice to finally have it clean after so long, couldn't she have waited till morning. She sighed, and saw Abbey Road studios ahead and smiled. A day in the studio with the boys and Mr. George would be nice. She didn't care if she did it almost every day, she loved it. And she had recently met Brian Epstein and she liked it when he came, too. She was treated almost like the fifth Beatle and it made her smile that they accepted her like they did. She walked up the steps and found the doors locked. She was confused a moment then ran back down the stairs and found some random person on the street.

"Please, sir," she pleaded, "could you please tell me what time it is?"

He looked puzzled a moment but looked down at his watch, "Erm, seven thirty-five."

Anna felt her stomach drop, "Thank you."

The man walked away eyeing her suspiciously, but she didn't care. She sighed, holding back tears and took a deep breath. She couldn't just sit there moping in the middle of the street, so she started walking back towards John's house at almost a running pace.

xxx

John picked up his cup of tea from the table and walked into the living room when there was a lock on the door. He looked at the clock, ten till eight. Ringo wasn't even at Anna's yet. He sighed and sat the cup down on the side table and went to answer the door. Anna stood looking fragile and tired. There were deep purple circles under her eyes and she was carrying her shoes.

"Annabelle, are you alright?" he instantly hugged her and brought her into the house, closing the door behind her and setting her on the couch, kneeling down in front of her with his hands on either side of her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said weakly, "I, uh, just wanted to go for a little walk this morning."

He looked at her, "And not sleep? I don't want to offend, but Annabelle, you look awful."

She sighed, "I know."

"Annabelle, what's wrong?"

She looked at him and gave in, "Well, when I got back to the apartment last night, Auntie Pam was actually there, and she was drunk off her arse, and she wanted me to clean the apartment, but I told her I'd just do it in the morning, but she wouldn't have it. So I was up till half past three this morning cleaning the whole place, then when I woke up, I thought it was much, much later than it really was, and I went down to the studio thinking you guys would be there, but it wasn't even open yet, and I asked some guy-"

Shh, shh, shhh..." John stopped her rambling when he saw the tears in her eyes start to fall. He held her and she broke down. He'd never seen her cry, never, so he knew this was bad. She needed to get out of that apartment with her auntie. It was starting to affect her health and sleeping. When she calmed down some he held her at arm's length.

"I'm sorry," she whipped her eyes.

"No, no. It's not your fault." John caught a tear before it rolled off her chin.

"Well, I kind of figured she'd be home one of these days when I got home and something like this would happen."

"Why do you stay with her? It's not good for you."

"Because I have nowhere else to go."

"Annabelle, you have somewhere to go. You could stay here, I have an extra bedroom. And I believe Ringo, George and I think maybe even Paul has an extra room. I'm sure they'd be glad to have you just as much as would."

"But you guys have already done so much, I don't want to impose."

"Annabelle, you would not be imposing. You're like our sister and hell, Annabelle, Paul's your boyfriend and I'm pretty sure his feelings aren't any kind of 'favor'."

She smiled down at her trembling hands.

"She, now there's the smile I know and love." He placed two fingers under her chin and lifted her head to look at her with a smile, "Now listen, you are welcome here any time."

"Really?"

"Any time at all. Now, I'm guessing you haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday?" John stood and went into the kitchen.

Anna looked at the clock and gave a quiet laugh when her stomach grumbled, "Yeah. Oh! Ringo was going to pick me up at the apartment at eight." She stood and John came and sat her back down.

"Now, don't worry. When he sees you're not there, he'll come straight here, or call. Either way, we'll know."

Just about that time, the phone rang next to them.

John looked at her, "See?" he picked up the phone, "Hullo?

Anna could hear a lot of fast paced gibberish on the other line and winced when John confirmed her fears of worrying Ringo.

"Yes, Ringo…I know, she's here…yes, I know, I promise she's fine. She just had a rough morning...okay, alright…okay, bye."

Anna didn't look at him and it reminded him of a child sent to the principal's office and sitting outside waiting on their punishment.

"That was Ringo." He said, "He's on his way."

She glanced up at him then back down, "Okay."

"Don't worry. You're not in trouble." He patted her head, "Now, come on. Come get some breakfast.


	9. From A Window

**Okay, so, I just realized that during all of the changes I made from the original draft of this story, I completely screwed up what really happened to the Beatles in real life..so, just use your imagination..hahaa. :P**

"Anna?" Ringo ran in the front door of John's house and ran into the kitchen. She looked up from her food and looked at him.

"Anna, what were you thinking?" he said, his tone slightly rose.

"I-I'm sorry, I just thought-" she tried to explain.

"I was worried sick! Where were you? Were you here? What if Max had gotten to you again?"

Anna just looked down, now feeling ashamed of what she had done in her panic.

"Ringo, calm down." John stepped in, "It was her auntie's fault."

He immediately calmed himself and looked down at Anna, "I'm sorry, Anna. I didn't mean,"

"No, it's fine. I understand. Let's just forget about it."

Ringo was about to protest, but John gestured to the door and Paul and George stepped inside.

"Morning, lads." Paul said cheerfully. He walked in and found the other three standing around, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." Said John, "George, will you go tidy up Annabelle's bandages?"

"Yeah, sure." George walked around Ringo and Anna took his hand and led her away.

"Guys, we have to do something." Said John when he was sure Anna was out of earshot.

"What's going on?" asked Paul.

"She came here a complete mess and completely broke down on my couch, Paulie, that's what's wrong. Her Auntie made her stay up and clean the apartment from head to toe until half past three this morning when she got home, and she had thought she'd woken up late and went to down to the studio to find us, and came here when she found it closed."

"Are you serious? Is that why she looks so exhausted?"

"Yeah. But what worries me is it maybe small now, just making her clean all night, but what if it turns into something more, and she actually hurts Annabelle?"

"But what do we do?" asked Ringo.

"Well, I've told her that she could come here anytime she wanted and that I was sure that you guys wouldn't mind her staying there from time to time. But I think she's afraid she's becoming a burden."

"Are you kidding me? I love the bird." Ringo said.

"I know, but," John stopped when George and Anna came back. It was quiet a moment, and Anna looked around.

"Did I do something wrong?" she said.

"No of course not!" Ringo said

"But we are going to be late if we don't get going. Is everybody ready?" said John, heading out the door.

"Yep." George was behind him followed by Ringo. Anna was about to follow, but Paul took her hand and she looked up at him.

"Are you alright?" he hugged her.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little sleepy." She replied, "I guess John told you what happened."

"You do know you are welcome over at my place anytime you need to right?" he ignored her statement.

She smiled, "Yes, I know."

"Hey, you two!" John called from outside, "Let's go!"

Paul kissed her cheek, "Come on."

Paul dragged her out and into the back of the car and she forgot most of her problems. When they got to the studio and took their places, Anna ditched her chair and decided that the rug on the floor was extremely comfortable. She lay right in the middle of the four boys and they laughed.

"Comfortable, Annie?" Mr. George said from the control box.

She looked up at him from the floor and smiled, "Why, yes, I am. Thank you for asking."

They all laughed even harder and got straight to work. Anna lay there listening to Ringo, George, John and Paul talk and laugh and sing. It was relaxing to her ears and she closed her eyes. But as she drifted away, she could still hear the boys talking.

She heard Ringo laugh, "Lads, look. Anna's asleep."

"So she is," it was George, "poor thing."

"Do we wake her up?" Paul sounded concerned, but she could still hear the smile in his voice.

"No, let her sleep. I doubt she'll wake." Said John.

"All right boys. Are you ready?" Mr. George said from the intercom and Anna heard John count off, and the song, then nothing.

_Anna woke up in a strange but familiar bed. She sat up and stretched, felling well-rested and looked around. She was in a small room with white walls and small furniture. She was almost too big for the bed that she was laying in. She let her legs hang over the side of the bed and her feet touched cold hardwood floor as she tried to remember how she got there. She couldn't remember, so she stood and walked as quietly as she could out of the room and headed downstairs. It seemed she was alone in the house that seemed all too familiar. She looked around and found nothing of real importance, but she heard voices outside and noticed the front door was open. She walked over to it and peeked outside into the bright sunlight and smiled. Ringo, Paul, John and George were standing outside in the street laughing and joking. Her feet still bare, she stepped out of the house and started to call out to him, but a large shadow came over her and she looked up and took a step back._

_ "Where do you think you're going?" Max stood over her._

_ "Max out of my way, I want to see Paul." She tried to get a glimpse of the boys with no avail. Did they not see her? Usually any sign of Max sent them in a fussing frenzy._

_ "Too bad." He grabbed her around the middle and threw her over her shoulder. She screamed and kicked, calling to Paul and Ringo, John and George. But they just kept on joking around in their circle, pretending not to hear her. Why were they ignoring her? She didn't know what Max was going to do, and she was scared. She called for help over and over, but nothing happened and Max carried her back into the house and her vision started to falter. The house was on fire and she was trapped inside._

"_Paul!" she cried, "Paul, where are you? Paul, help! Ringo! Somebody!"_

"Anna. Anna, wake up. Annie, you've got to wake up." Ringo's voice came into her head.

"Annie, I'm right here. We're all here." Paul was trying to reassure her. But why was he ignoring her earlier when she needed help? What happened to the house? And Max? She opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She was in somebody's lap and she felt more than a few eyes on her. Her eyes took a moment to focus and she realized where she was and jumped.

"Annie, it's alright. We're all here." She was in Paul's lap and Ringo and John were kneeled down. She saw George biting his nails.

"Annabelle, are you alright?" John asked.

"Huh?" she was still really confused, "Where are we?"

"We're at Abbey Road. You've been asleep for hours."

"Oh." She sighed, "Just a bad dream."

"That must've been some nightmare. You were calling our names and sweating and everything." Said George kneeling next to her head.

"Yeah, what time is it?"

"It's almost one." Said John.

"Um, I think I'm gonna head back to the apartment before Auntie gets home. Get some sleep."

"Okay, I'll take you home." Paul lifted her up.

"No, no. You guys have work to do. It's not far from here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I just need some sleep. Lots of it."

Paul chuckled a little and kissed her cheek. She gave a weak smile and waved good-bye, walking out a little more hastily than she meant, but she had to get out of there. She crossed the street and walked for ten minutes till she got to her auntie's apartment. She reached the front door and peeked in first, checking to make sure her drunken relative was nowhere to be found and slipped in. She headed back to her room and didn't even bother to take off her shoes before she crashed on her bed.

xxx

"Annabelle Molly!"

Anna woke with a start and sat up. Her auntie was obviously home and she ran into the room where she was, thinking something was wrong. But she only found her Auntie Pam rummaging through the cabinets and refrigerator. Anna sighed and leaned against the door frame.

"Yes, Auntie?"

"Where's all the beer?" she slurred from behind the fridge door.

"You were out." She said simply.

"Then go get some."

Anna looked at the clock. Wow, had she really slept that long? "Auntie, it's half past midnight. Nothing's open. You're just going to have to wait till morning."

She started back to her room but a crash in her ear made her stop and jump back. Shards of glass were at her feet and a small amount of alcohol was dripping down the door frame. She looked up at her auntie with shock. She had never tried to hurt her before.

"Go find some now!" she said, approaching her.

"I don't know where to go." She took a step back but kept eye contact.

"I don't care! Go! Leave this house!" she raised a fist after her and Anna ran for it. Out the door, down the steps and into the streets.

"And don't come back!" she heard her auntie call from a window above. She sighed and looked left, then right. She knew where to go, but she just wasn't sure. But where else was she supposed to go? She gave up in the cool night and, rubbing her arms, started for John Lennon's house.


	10. I Should've Known Better

** Okay guys, I realize that a lot of this is starting to seem really unrealistic, but that's just how my mind works. I realize that there are flaws in this story, but I don't really want to be a professional writer, all this does is keep me sane. :P**

** So, anyway, I do have a few "shout outs" if you would:**

**Flippzy-gurl-hahaa, your review just made me smile, and the whole puppy line with Ringo totally made my day. :P**

** Beatlesholic13- dude, you are probably the most amazing person on the planet right now. Jus' sayin'. :]**

** I don't own the Beatles. :[**

John turned over in his sleep and stretched out his legs. He was so comfy and his cool sheets were so nice after a long day at the studio. He should've been completely out, but for some reason all he could do was doze. Then he heard a knock at his door. He opened his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows. Thinking it was just his imagination and tried to go back to sleep. But then he heard it again and this time he got up, flipping a light on in the living room and unlocking the door. He was half surprised to see little Anna standing on his front porch.

"Annabelle? Are you, wait didn't we already do this once?" he said.

She gave a small smile, "When you said anytime, did a quarter to one am count?"

Suddenly he thought he knew what had happened, "Come in."

She nodded and stepped inside. He closed the door behind her and headed towards the extra bedroom to make sure the bed was cleared off. He came back in and Anna was still standing there.

"She finally went too far, didn't she?" said John.

"If you call crashing an empty beer bottle next to my head too far, then yes." She yawned.

John winced, but went and edged her towards the bedroom, "We'll talk about it in the morning. You've already had an all-nighter once this week, you don't need anymore."

She smiled and stepped into the extra bedroom and turned to John, "Thank you."

"No problem. Night Annabelle." And he was back in his room within the blink of an eye.

Anna looked at the room she was in. It was small, but she didn't mind. She actually liked it better. The walls and furniture was all white, including the blankets and pillows on the bed. The closet and chest-of-drawers were empty, but there was an older looking guitar in the corner. She sighed and sat on the bed and found it to be extraordinary comfortable. She took off her shoes and crawled under the covers for the best night of sleep she'd have in a long time.

xxx

"Annabelle. Annabelle, time to wake up." John gently shook her shoulder. Her arm was lying over her face and her hair was a complete mess. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked as John came into focus. She smiled and stretched in her back and looked around a little confused at first, but then she remembered and her face dropped.

"Do you want to talk about it?" John sat on the bed next to her.

She was quiet a moment, "I should've known better. I knew she would do something like this eventually."

"Well, you can stay here as long as you like." He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"But right now," he continued standing, "do you think your auntie's still there?"

"Not sure. Why?" Anna sat up.

"Well, I thought we could go get some of your things. Unless you want to stay in those clothes the whole time you're here."

She looked down at herself, "Yeah, I would like to change."

"Alright. I've already phoned Ringo, Paul and George and they're going to meet us at the studio. So come on, I've made some breakfast."

He walked out of the room and Anna stretched one more time before following him, stopping by the bathroom to at least make herself look presentable. She was greeted with eggs and bacon and toast when she came out. John was already at the table.

"Help yourself." He said.

She filled her plate, feeling like she hadn't eaten in ages, she tried to remember the last time she ate, and she couldn't remember when that was. She sat across from John and they ate in silence, enjoying the food that he had made. When they were done, she thanked him and they headed over to her auntie's apartment. John followed her up the stairs and she peeked in the door, much like she had the day before and found the first room empty. She stepped in and went to check all the rooms.

"She's not here." She said and they both seemed to release a held breath.

"Okay, well, just grab a bag with some things for a few days." Said John, "You can wash clothes at my place if you stay longer."

She ran back to her room and found a large shoulder bag and stuffed it with her favorite clothes, then headed to the bathroom to grab her hairbrush, toothbrush and paste, and things like that. She came out with the bag over her shoulder and smiled at him.

"Ready?" he said.

"I think so."

"Great, let's head over to the studio." He opened the door for her and she walked under his arm, stopping once to look back at the apartment. She had the strangest feeling that she wasn't coming back and had an almost guilty feeling in her stomach. She looked up at John and he gave her a reassuring smile. She smiled back and told herself just to forget about it, and they left the building and headed for Abbey Road studios.


	11. She's Leaving Home

**Hmm, this wasn't what I actually intended to happen, but I honestly didn't really want that to happen..so boo you! Hahaa, just kidding. :]**

**SydneyRaeHarrison- hahaa, well I'm glad you're enjoying the story. But it's okay. My mom thinks I'm crazy cause I keep telling her about these crazy reviews I'm getting. :D**

** I don't own the Beatles. :[**

They arrived at the building and spotted Ringo's car sitting out in front. They stepped out and John grabbed his guitar and Anna left her bag in the vehicle. When they got inside, they were bombarded with questions.

"Guys, I'm fine really. I'm just tired of my auntie being like that all the time. I don't know what she does during the day, but every time I come home, she's drunk off her arse, and I'm sick of it." Anna explained.

"So she's staying at my place until further notice." Said John, "So, who's ready to make some music?"

Anna felt well-rested for the first time in a while as they walked down the steps to the recording room and took her usual seat in her chair by Ringo's drums. She was back in on the jokes and laughs and back helping the boys with anything they needed and life went on. She stayed with John in his extra room, and they would sneak up to her auntie's apartment every now and then to get some more of her things. They would all go into town some nights to have a little bit of fun and sometimes Paul would surprise Anna with small things like nighttime walks in the park and things like that. George would bandage her up every morning until her arm healed and left more small scars on her skin. They kept on watch whenever they were out for Max in case he did show up again. Soon enough, Anna pretty much ended up moving into John extra room. She started helping around the house, and cooking when John was absolutely exhausted or working on a song. And one night after a couple weeks of living there when the other three boys were there, she stood and grabbed some of their plates that were empty from the food she had cooked.

"Thanks, Ann." George smiled handing her his plate.

"No problem, Georgie." She smiled back at him and went to grab Paul's plate, but he stood instead.

"I got it." He went with her into the kitchen and she put the plates in the sink and rinsed them off. Paul came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You wanna go for a walk?" he asked in her ear.

"Sure." She smiled up at him and he took her hand and led her to the front door.

"Where are you two going?" asked John.

"Out." Said Paul simply, opening the door, "For a walk."

The other three looked at each other, but Anna didn't get to hear if they said anything else as she was dragged out into the Liverpudlian streets. She didn't know how late it was, but she didn't care. It was one of those rare times when she got to just be with Paul. She walked a little closer to him and he draped his arm over her shoulders and she took his hand. They walked that way all the way to Princes Park and Paul stopped her under one of the street lamps. She looked up at him a little confused, but didn't think much about it. She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his slim waist and took in his scent with a smile. He laced his fingers together behind her back and rested his head on hers, taking in the smell of her hair.

"Annie?" he said.

"Hmm?" she had her eyes closed.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

He paused and didn't say anything and she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He looked straight into her pupils with a small, but caring smile on his lips.

"Annabelle, I love you." He said.

Anna stared at him and thought about what he just told her. She thought about Max, and how he had said that the first day, and even kissed her. She knew it was too soon when that had happened, but there wasn't much she could do then. Max never respected her in any sense. But Paul was different. He respected her, and hadn't said anything along those lines the whole time they had officially been an item, and she appreciated it. She felt that this was the right move and the right time.

"Paul," she said.

He looked anxious and nervous, but he kept the corners of his mouth slightly upward.

"Paul," she repeated, "I love you, too."

A smile graced both of their lips and Paul placed his hands on her hips and slowly leaned in. She got his hidden message and clasped her hands behind his neck, standing on her toes. She closed her eyes and their lips touched, lingering there a moment before parting. She kept her eyes closed and folded her lips under with a smile. Paul chuckled and kissed her again.

xxx

Anna and Paul were walking back to John's house hand in hand when Anna suddenly remembered.

"Oh, I need to get my journal from my auntie's." she said.

"Alright, come on."

They turned back around and headed back the other direction towards where Anna used to live. It was a ten minute walk from where they were and they quietly hiked up the stairs to her auntie's apartment. She opened the door and looked around and took in a breath when she saw her auntie lying on the couch. She took a step back, but then realized that she was breathing evenly, curled up in a ball. She stepped back in and walked closer.

"Annie, what are you doing?" Paul whispered.

Anna didn't say anything, but she approached the coffee table and found an empty wine glass and a full, unopened bottle of wine. She picked up the glass and looked it over. It was unused. She looked over at her auntie and her stomach dropped when she found a picture of her mum on the couch beside her. Anna sighed and sat the glass down, tip-toeing back to her old room and lifted the mattress of her old bed and found an old journal stuffed with old papers. She grabbed it and gently let the mattress fall back into place and treaded softly back to the living room.

"Ready?" was inching towards the door, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

Anna looked at her sleeping auntie and the picture of her mum and sighed again, "Yeah."

She walked over to the door and looked back again, not unlike when John had first taken her here to get some of her things and a smile found its way to her lips. She felt that this was really it. She was leaving for a new life. A better life with the Beatles. She was leaving home.


	12. Maxwell's Silver Hammer

**Wow, I'm on a roll! :D**

**No, I'm not just trying to get done with the story, I am seriously writing cause I like it. I do think I'm addicted to writing it though…hahaa. :]**

**I don't own the Beatles. :[**

Paul began their walk back to John's house once again and by then it was almost ten o'clock. They slowly headed down the stairs, taking them one step at a time. Paul looked at Anna.

"Who was that in the picture?" he asked.

She looked up at him, "Me mum."

"Oh," he wasn't really sure what to say.

"She died in a house fire when I was very young." She said simply, "Dad, too."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I was much too young to remember."

They stepped outside and Paul closed the door, but something got caught so it wouldn't click shut. He turned to try and fix it and Anna turned when she heard something behind her and her eyes went wide.

"Paul!" she said.

He turned to see Max heading their way. He didn't have a beer bottle, and he didn't look drunk, but he had something long and thin in his hand. He spotted them and quickened his pace. Anna didn't exactly feel like getting anymore scars on her arm and back into Paul. He stepped in front of her.

"I was just on my way to see you Annie." Said Max, raising his arms in the air like she was going to hug him. They could clearly see a long, silver hammer in his hand.

"What do you want, Max?" she said wearily.

"I just wanted to visit you and your Auntie Pam." He said with a smile. Neither Paul nor Anna liked it.

"What's with the hammer?" said Paul, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Well, I thought I might fix that leaky pipe of yours in your kitchen."

"There was no leaky pipe when I was there." Said Anna.

"Was? You don't live here anymore?"

"She's bunking with a friend." Paul jumped in, "Temporarily."

"Oh, really?"

"Max, why do you have that thing?" said Anna, "Put it away."

"Oh? Don't you like it? It's new." He took a few steps towards them.

"That's nice." Anna backed up, but Paul stood his ground.

"You know, you never did introduce me to your friend here, Annie."

"Leave. My kitten. Alone." Said Paul sternly.

"Your kitten? Oh, Annie, you're not seriously with this guy are you?"

Anna started to inch in the direction of John's house, ready to bolt if need be. But Max guessed her scheme.

"You don't think you're leaving do you?" he said.

She shook her head, eyeing the hammer in his hand. He started to raise it, but Paul grabbed his wrist.

"Annie, run!"

She hesitated a moment, then booked it back towards John's house to ask the others for help. She didn't look back till she saw two figures ahead. Paul and Max were out of sight, but she slowed down before she could completely see the other two figures. They were walking towards her and she ducked in the bushes, trying to calm her breathing. Their footsteps got louder and she started to panic. She looked up to see two of Max's buddies looked down at her with wicked smiles. They might have been bigger than her, but not as quick. She slipped under them and ran past John's house, not wanting to cause another fight. She kept running, listening to the footsteps right behind her, past the Cavern and ducked down an ally and kept running till she had no idea where she was.

xxx

Paul managed to make it out of the fight with a bloody lip, and maybe a broken knuckle, but in the end, Max held him up by his collar and laughed in his face.

"You'll never find her." He said.

"What are you talking about?" he tried to get down without much success.

"My mates have probably already found her and taken her away."

"No, I'm sure she's made it to John's by now. They'll be here any second."

"I don't think so. I've been watching her. She won't have made it to Johnny Boy's before my mates got to her."

He threw him down and started off in the other direction. Paul stood and broke into a run down the street to John's house. He barged in and the other boys jumped.

But no Anna.

Paul sighed and sunk down to the floor with his face in his hands.

"Paul, what's going on?" said Ringo.

"Annie. She's gone."

"What did you say to her now?" John had a slight joking tone in his voice.

"Max. Max got a hold of her."

They were all silent, speechless. John's smile was slapped from his face. Ringo stood.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"I mean I don't know where she is! We had to stop and grab something from her auntie's again, and when we were leaving, Max showed. I told her to run, thinking she'd come here, but apparently some of Max's mates got to her first."

"Well, we have to go look for her. Find her!" said George, standing and grabbing his shoes and coat.

"How are we supposed to find her when we don't even know where to start?" said John, "We should call the police."

"Well, it's at least worth a try first. Come on." George was out the door before anyone could say anything else. The other three stood there a moment, silent and unsure.

"I'm going to help George. John, call the police." He too grabbed his shoes and coat and followed George out the door. John picked up the phone and dialed the police station. Paul could hear him talking, but wasn't paying much attention. All he could think of was how scared Anna must be, and lonely. What if she was hurt? Or what if Max killed her with that hammer? He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see John giving him a reassuring smile, but Paul could tell it was forced. He loved Anna, too. But he thought they both knew that there was nothing they could do but hope and pray that their dearest Beatlette was okay and trying to get to them. God knew they would be trying to find her.


	13. No Reply

**Okay, this was just a short little chapter that I wanted to put in just for the sake of it. I already had part of it written out anyway, and I didn't want it to go to waste. :P**

** I don't own the Beatles. :[**

And so the weeks went by with no word from anywhere. The police kept reassuring them that they were looking for her twenty-four/seven, but they still kept up their own searches. And no matter how hard they looked, and the longer they went without word, the more depressed they all got. After two weeks, Mr. George and Brian simply told them to stop coming to the studio, and even those two started searching for Anna, missing the little ball of sunshine. But it didn't hit anybody harder than it hit Paul. He sunk into a depression so hard that he didn't do anything but sit by the phone at John's. He started staying there, sleeping in Anna's bed. John sat by him one day when Ringo and George were out looking for Anna with the police.

"I told her I loved her that day." Said Paul, not looking at John, who was slightly taken aback. But Paul continued, "And it was our first kiss."

John sighed, knowing there was nothing he could do or say that would help either of them. Ringo and George came in and took off their scarves and coats.

"Any word from the police?" said George.

"Not a sound. Phone hasn't rung all day." Said John.

"Nothing here either." Ringo sat down and George sat with him.

It was quiet a moment.

"It's getting cold out there." Ringo stated.

"Yeah, it is." Said George, "I hope she's alright."

"She's fine. I bet she'll come home within the week." Said John, trying to be a little positive.

But she didn't. Another week went by, and still nothing. Paul finally got the nerve to go outside one day. It was cold and he pulled his collar up around his neck, close to his ears. He was heading for the park and on the way there, his mind wandered. He stopped by Abbey Road. Images of them all playing and laughing on the front steps filled his head. He kept walking and came by one of the restaurants that they would eat at during breaks, or just to eat out and he saw them sitting at a booth, acting silly as usual. Then he came to the park. An open field where they would sit sometimes and he saw Annie doing cartwheels in the grass and him and the other boys sitting under a shady tree laughing at her. A small smile came to his lips and he moved on. The streetlamp under which they had their first kiss came into view. He watched as his imagination pulled up the vision of himself and Annie standing there. He could still feel how soft her lips were on his. He stood by the lamppost and slid down to the concrete, and simply cried.


	14. She Came In Through the Bathroom Window

**Hey ya'll! I ordered A Hard Day's Night and Help! last night, and bought Avatar after school today! :D**

** Sorry, I just thought that was really exciting news. :]**

** Anyway, we are nearing the end of this journey of ours! Hope you enjoy this! :D**

** I don't own the Beatles. :[ **

After calming himself down, Paul began his walk back to his home as it started to rain, hard. He pulled his collar up around his neck and quickened his pace till he got inside and threw his keys on the side table. He ditched his jacket and shook his long, dark hair and took a seat on the couch, rubbing his already red and puffy eyes with his palms. He sighed, leaning on his knees and decided he better eat something before a made himself sick and moped into the kitchen. He searched his cabinets and refrigerator for anything that was easy and unhealthy, but all he could find was chicken soup. He opened the can and dumped its contents into a bowl and stuck it in the microwave, leaning on the counter and crossing his arms, he looked at the calendar across the room. He had been counting the days that Anna had been missing. Three weeks and two days since he'd kissed her. Since he'd told her he loved her. He shook his head and held back more tears as the microwave sounded that the food was done and pulled the bowl out and grabbed a spoon. He sat down at the table in silence, eating his food in a kind of daze. He heard a noise coming from what sounded like the bathroom and stopped a moment, but nothing happened to he brushed it off and continued to eat his food. Then it happened again and he stood and peeked around the corner. A figure was climbing through the small window over the tub. Paul took a step closer to get a better look and the figure stumbled out of the bathroom.

"Anna!" Paul ran to her. She was soaking wet and trembling. Her skin was purple and felt like ice to touch and she had a black eye.

"P-Paul," her teeth were chattering and she leaned on the door frame. Paul picked her up and moved her to the couch, covering her with a nearby blanket. He kneeled down by her.

"Annie, are you alright?" he asked.

"I r-ran, like you s-s-s-said. And they w-wouldn't stop chasing me." Her voice came out in sobs between the teeth chattering. Through the rain, Paul hadn't noticed her crying and he shushed her and held her gently, rocking her back and forth. She sobbed into his shoulder and he let her, just happy to hold her in his arms again. When she finally calmed down she looked up at him and he pulled the blanket up around her shoulders.

"H-have you been crying?" she asked.

He gave a light smile and only nodded. She leaned into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her again. She seemed to doze off a bit and he picked her up, blanket and all and laid her in his bed. He kissed her forehead and looked her over. She looked terrible, with her bruised eye and cuts and scratches all over her arms. There were a few rips and tears in her clothing, too. Paul thought he ought to call John and reluctantly left the room to sit on the couch.

_"Hullo?"_ John's voice came from the other end.

"John? It's Paul, she's here! Annie's here!" he said in a slight whisper.

_"What? How? When? Is she alright?"_

"She's a little banged up, but I think she'll be fine."

_"Rings, Georgie! Annabelle's over at Paul's!" _Paul could hear the others in the background.

"She's asleep now. She came in through the bathroom window just twenty minutes ago."

_"That's fantastic. I'll call the police and let them know."_

"Alright." Paul was so overwhelmed he wasn't really paying much attention.

_"And Paul,"_

"Yes?"

_"Watch over her. I know you will."_

"I'll do that." He hung up the receiver and walked into his bedroom, crawling in the bed by Anna. He started to put his arm around her waist, but she moved and he leaned back. She turned over on her other side so she was facing him and laid her head in his chest. Paul rested his hand on her back and laced his fingers with hers in his stomach. Soon enough, he was alongside her.

xxx

Anna reluctantly opened her eyes the next morning and turned over to get more comfortable. But her surroundings were different. No concrete, or hard, wet ground. She shot up and looked around, the memories of the night before flooding back to her. Finding her way back to Paul's and crashing on his couch. But his wasn't his couch. There was a blanket halfway falling off the bed and she picked it up and wrapped it around herself, not bothering to look at herself in the mirror. She tip-toed into the other room and peeked around the corner. Paul was there in the living room. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks, or eaten very much either. He looked up when she came in.

"Annie!" he stood and ran to hug her.

She smiled when she picked him up but immediately regretted it, "Oh, careful."

"What happened to you?" He led her to the couch again and they sat down.

"Well, I was running towards John's…"

_"Annie, run!"_

_She hesitated a moment, then booked it back towards John's house to ask the others for help. She didn't look back till she saw two figures ahead. Paul and Max were out of sight, but she slowed down before she could completely see the other two figures. They were walking towards her and she ducked in the bushes, trying to calm her breathing. Their footsteps got louder and she started to panic. She looked up to see two of Max's buddies looked down at her with wicked smiles. They might have been bigger than her, but not as quick. She slipped under them and ran past John's house, not wanting to cause another fight. She kept running, listening to the footsteps right behind her, past the Cavern and ducked down an ally and kept running till she had no idea where she was._

"I had no idea where I was going, but I knew I needed to get away from them. So I just kept going. I figured I'd find my way back when I lost them, but they kept following me. I slept where I could and found food where I could, just try and get back here."

"Did they ever find you?"

"Once." She raised her shirt a bit to reveal scratches and bruises where they had grabbed her. Paul winced and felt a rage within him.

"But I got away and started to find my way back. I guess I was just a little more lost than I thought."

"And, uh, what is that?" he pointed to her eye.

She got up and looked in the mirror and made a face. Paul stood and walked over to her.

She gave a light laugh, "You know, this one's actually my fault. When you're running for dear life from your alcoholic ex-boyfriends lads, you don't tend to pay attention to where you're going."

Paul eyed her with a smile.

"Walls. They're awful things sometimes." She said.

"Annie, I am so glad to finally have you back." He hugged her around the neck.

"Annabelle?" they heard the door open and John's voice rang through the house.

"John!" she ran and hugged him round the middle.

"Careful. She's wounded." Said Paul.

"I see that." John lifted her chin to get a good look at her eye.

"No, I mean," he lifted her shirt just enough to show the bruise.

"You really need to quit hurting yourself like that." Ringo came in and Anna's face brightened. He hugged her gently, then George.

"We missed you, Ann." He said.

"I missed you, too, Georgie."

"So what happened?" asked John.

"It's a long story." Paul put his arm around her shoulders and they sat down for a long, much needed talk.


	15. AN Please Don't Report

**Heyy kiddos! I just wanted to post this temporarily for informational and update purposes. Anddddd just 'cause I have a kinda funny story. :P**

**Okay, so I had written some of the next chapter of this at school this past Friday, and stuck it in my notebook for safe keeping, only to figure out that I had left it there in my hurry to catch the bus when I got home.. :/**

**So, I figured I'd try to re-write it and see how that went. Nope. Wasn't gonna happen. So I was just like, I'll get it Monday, and post it when I get home. So when I got to school, I wrote some more of it and stuck it in my back pocket this time. I get to my 3****rd**** block, and it's gone. I searched everywhere for it, and I can't find it anywhere, and I am thoroughly pissed. But, I shall search for it again today, and If I can't find it, I shall attempt to re-write it from memory again, though I do not wish to 'cause I really liked what I had in the first place…oh well. :/**

**Anyway, point is, I'm sorry for not updating like I was, and that there really is a reason behind it, and if anything, it shall be updated with another chapter tonight. But for now, I must go catch the bus, and survive algebra II…yikes, wish me luck. :P**

_**Cally**_


	16. The End

**Alright guys, ya'll are gonna have to use your imagination on this one, cause I'm pretty sure I've already screwed up the real timeline, but oh well. If I write a sequel, I'll try to keep it closer to what really happened. Anyway, here it is! Enjoy!**

** I only own Anna. :[**

And so life went on. The police showed up at Paul's not an hour later and Anna described her experience once again. They soon found and arrested Max for attempted kidnapping and harassment, and he was put in jail. They got Anna back to her room at John's house and after a couple of days, she got a call saying that her auntie had overdosed and was found dead in her apartment. She was upset, but she also felt that it was better that way, because she'd known her auntie had been extremely depressed. She'd tried to get her to a doctor, but she refused. They all went to the funeral and Anna spoke on her behalf, and the next day, they were all back in the studio. Mr. George and Brian greeted Anna with hugs and smiles. They had painted "Annabelle's Chair" on the back of her usual seat as a we're-glad-you're-okay-and-back-home-again present. They rehearsed for a gig at the Cavern Club that weekend, and did so for the next few days. The incident wasn't mentioned again, wanting to forget about the experience and put it behind them.

Anna and John decided to have a day to themselves that Saturday, watching movies and what not before the Cavern gig and Ringo, George and Paul met up at their house later in the afternoon half ready. Anna finished putting up her hair in a clip and came out to help them load up.

"My dad let me borrow his van so I could get my drums there. Do you mind if we take that?" said Ringo, messing with a tambourine.

"I thought it was already at the club." Said Anna.

"No, I had to get some work done on it."

"Well, then I guess we'll be using the van." John headed towards the door with his guitar.

"Good, my drums are already loaded up." Ringo followed him.

Anna laughed and picked up Paul's bass. George went on ahead out the door and she was about to follow him, but she turned and couldn't find Paul. She went and found him in her room fussing with a tie around his neck. He looked like he was having some trouble and Anna giggled.

He looked over at her and smiled, "What are you laughing at, little girl?"

"You." She set down his bass and walked over to him, "Let me help you with that."

Paul watched her face as she adjusted the silk around his neck and his face fell a little. She had tried to cover up as much of her black eye as she could, but it still shown through the powder. He held her face and she looked up at him, knowing what he was looking at. She sighed.

"I'm fine. I promise." She put a hand on his forearm.

"Are you sure?" he didn't look convinced and he caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"Yes, it's just a bruise or two. I'll be fine, now," she picked up his overcoat and bass, "let's get you down to the Cavern."

A car horn honked outside, "Ann! Paulie, let's go!" George was hanging out the window.

Anna giggled and stood on her tip-toes to peck Paul's cheek and drug him out of the house.

xxx

The Beatles took a bow and Anna made her way through the crowd to meet them at the stairs, passing a group of younger girls who were all screaming, a few of them on the verge of tears. Anna pushed through the, ignoring them and their protests. John came down first, followed by Ringo and George who each kissed her on the cheek, each time the girl's faces dropped a little. And they did even more so when Paul came down the stair and full on kissed her lips.

"Don't worry, girls," Anna said with her arms wrapped around Paul's waist and his hand on her back, "the other three are single."

They seemed to perk up a bit and Anna and Paul went to the bar to sit with George and Ringo. Paul helped her onto a stool.

"Where's John?" she said.

"Over there with Brian." Said George.

She looked over at them and suddenly, John looked tremendously happy. They shook hands and John ran over to them with a huge smile on his face.

"Lads, we are officially signed!" he said.

"What?" Paul and Ringo exclaimed.

"Brian just officially signed us! We're in!" John picked up Anna by the waist and spun her around.

"That's fantastic!" she said.

"And we have a tour in Germany in a month!"

They were all jumping around looking like idiots, but they didn't care. But suddenly, it hit Anna that they would be going away. She sat back down on her stool with a small smile, but she suddenly felt really depressed.

"And do you know what the best part is?" said John, "Annabelle gets to come with us!"

She looked up at him and her face lit up, "Really?"

"Yes! Brian feels like you're just part of the group, so you get to come with us wherever we go!"

Brian suddenly showed up with a camera, "Lads, I feel like this is a picture moment."

And there it was, Anna's most favorite picture ever. She found herself connected to each Beatle in some way or fashion. Ringo grabbed hold of one of her hands next to her, and George took her other. Paul wrapped his arms around her slim waist and rested his head on her shoulder, while John jumped in at the last minute, wrapping and arm around George's neck and kissing Anna's cheek. This was it. This was the life she'd always dreamed of.


	17. Epilogue

A month later, and Anna found herself and John running around the house, gathering everything they would need for a long tour of Hamburg, Germany.

"Annabelle, are you ready to go?" John called from his room.

"No, but just about!" she called back, "Are you?"

"No." a flash of brown hair ran past her room and they laughed. A knock on the door cut them off. Still laughing, Anna answered the door.

"Georgie!" she hugged her best friend.

He laughed, "Hullo Ann."

She ran back to her room and stuffed the last of her clothes into her new, much larger suitcase. Hearing Ringo's voice, she hurriedly locked it up and ran into the room, tackling him.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Mhm, let me get my suitcase." She ran back in to grab it and drug it out with some difficulty. Ringo and George laughed.

"Let me get that, Anna." Ringo grabbed it from her and picked it up with ease.

She made a pouty face, "I could've done it."

"Yeah, but then we would've been late to the airport." He smiled.

She crossed her arms over her chest as Ringo walked out the door with her things. George laughed and kissed her cheek. She giggled and hugged him.

Anna grabbed her purse and followed George out the door, John behind them with his luggage as well. They loaded up Ringo's father's van when Paul pulled up. He stepped out and Anna ran into his open arms and their lips met.

"You're late!" John called.

"I know, but I needed a little more time to pick something up." He winked at Anna and bent into the back of his car, pulling out a small box.

"For me?" Anna was a little taken aback.

Paul nodded, "It's just a little something I found walking in town the other day."

She opened it up and found a square locket, slightly bigger than most, but still small. It had a little heart engraved into it, "It's beautiful!" she said.

"Open it up. I think you'll like it."

She slipped her nails into the crack on the side and it popped open. The picture they had taken in the Cavern Club the day they got signed was locked into it. She smiled, "Oh, Paulie, I love it!" she kissed him again, but Ringo honked the horn.

"Well, come on! We're going to be late!" he waved from the driver's seat.

Paul grabbed his things from his trunk and threw them in the van, jumping in as Ringo drove off. George was clipping the necklace around Anna's neck. They all smiled and when they arrived at the airport and spotted the plane they would be boarding, Anna jumped out of the car, staring at the giant aircraft.

"Whoa!" she was suddenly lifted onto someone's back.

"Are you ready?" said John.

"You don't even know." She giggled, and he dropped her into Paul's arms, carrying her to the best adventure of her life.


	18. author's note, help!

**Alright ya'll, this whole comin' up with a sequel thing is giving me the biggest problem ever, and I'm at a loss for what to do next. So, to maybe solve my problem I ask for the peoples' help! Power to the people! :D**

**What's happened is that I have like 20 thousand bazillion time lines, none of which I've liked so far, and none of which have an ending and a few short little drabbles with like John and Anna, and a couple ones with Anna and Paul, but nothing that really pertains to a story really.**

**But seriously, I have posted a poll on my profile, and if you would kindly go vote on what you would like that would be fab. I've never posted a poll before, so I wasn't exactly sure how to get the word out, and I promise as soon as the poll closes, I shall delete this chapter.**

**So to all of you who've described to this story and still wish to see a sequel and want to help an extremely indecisive girl with her writing, please to vote in the poll. I'm desperate to get something going, to say the least…**

**The poll with close on July 10, 2010 unless I have absolutely zero votes. Thanks again! Peace and love to you all!**

_**Cally**_


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